J. Carib. Ornithol. 20:47-49, 2007

FIRST RECORD OF VARIEGATED FLYCATCHER ( EMPIDONOMUS V. VARIUS ) AND FURTHER RECORDS OF HOUSE SPARROW ( PASSER DOMESTICUS ) FOR ,

PAOLO R AMONI -PERAZZI 1 , I RMA A. S OTO -WERSCHITZ 2, AND L AURA A LMEIDA 3

1Laboratorio de Zoología Aplicada, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela; e-mail: [email protected]; 2Centro Jardín Botánico de Mérida, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela; 3Laboratorio Biología de Protozoarios, Departamento de Biología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Los Andes, Mérida 5101, Venezuela

Abstract: Five Variegated Flycatchers ( Empidonomus v. varius ) and four House Sparrows ( Passer domesticus ) were observed in Gran Roque Island, Los Roques Archipelago, Venezuela, in July 2005. These represent the first and second records, respectively, of these species in the archipelago, extending the known records of Variegated Fly- catcher in Venezuela northward about 160 km, and providing evidence for further colonization for the House Spar- row. Key words: distributional records, Empidonomus v. varius , Los Roques Archipelago, Passer domesticus , Venezuela

Resumen: PRIMER R EGISTRO DEL A TRAPAMOSCAS V ETEADO ( EMPIDONOMUS VARIUS VARIUS ) Y N UEVOS R EGIS- TROS DEL G ORRIÓN ( PASSER DOMESTICUS ) EN EL A RCHIPIÉLAGO L OS R OQUES , V ENEZUELA . Cinco Atrapamoscas Veteados ( Empidonomus varius varius ) y cuatro Gorriones ( Passer domesticus ) fueron observados en la isla de Gran Roque, Archipiélago Los Roques, Venezuela, en julio de 2005. Estos representan, respectivamente, el primer y segun- do registros de estas especies en el archipiélago, extendiendo la distribución conocida de la primera en Venezuela en unos 160 km hacia el norte y evidenciando la consolidación de la colonización por parte de la segunda especie. Palabras clave: Archipiélago Los Roques, Empidonomus v. varius , Passer domesticus , registros distribucionales, Venezuela

Résumé : PREMIÈRE O BSERVATION DU T YRAN T ACHETÉ ( EMPIDONOMUS VARIUS VARIUS ) ET N OUVELLES O BSERVA- TIONS DU M OINEAU D OMESTIQUE (P ASSER DOMESTICUS ) DANS L’ A RCHIPEL DE L OS R OQUES (V ÉNÉZUELA ). Cinq Tyrans tachetés ( Empidonomus v. varius ) et quatre Moineaux domestiques ( Passer domesticus ) ont été observés sur l’île de Gran Roque, Archipel de Los Roques, Venezuela, en juillet 2005. Il s’agit respectivement des première et deuxième observations de ces espèces dans l’archipel, élargissant la répartition connue au Vénézuela du Tyran tacheté de 160 km vers le nord, et fournissant des informations sur une future colonisation par le Moineau domestique. Mots-clés : Archipel de Los Roques, distribution, Empidonomus v. varius , Passer domesticus , Vénézuela

LOS R OQUES A RCHIPELAGO , Dependencias Fed- STUDY A REA AND M ETHODS erales, is located 160 km north of the Venezuelan There are three natural terrestrial habitats in the coast (11º44’45” to 11º58’36” N, 66º32’42” to archipelago (Aristeguieta 1956, Villamizar and 66º52’57” W). It is an atoll comprised of > 200 Zamarro 2003): , halophyte/psamophyte banks and more than 15 coralline cays, forming an savannas, and thorny bushes, the latter restricted to irregular oval around a shallow lagoon surrounded Gran Roque. Introduced trees, particularly Sea by two large barrier reefs (Fig. 1). The archipelago Grape ( Coccoloba uvifera ; Polygonaceae), are com- was protected as a National Park in 1972, declared a monly associated with the human settlements of Ramsar site in 1996, and as an Important Bird Area Gran Roque. in 2005 (BirdLife International and Conservation We studied birds in the field at four cays. El Gran International 2005). The avifauna of Los Roques Roque (11°56’53.6” N, 66°40’53.5” W), which National Park has been described by Phelps and includes all three natural habitats and the largest Phelps (1950, 1959), Ginés and Yépez (1956), Le- human settlement, was visited daily from 14-19 July Croy (1976), and Lentino and Rodner (2003). In 2005. Maceta de Nube Verde (11°46’38.3” N, 66° this note we report one new bird species and further 42’17.7” W), which has vegetation and records of a recently reported introduced species in no permanent human presence, was visited on 17 the Los Roques Archipelago. July 2005. Dos Mosquises Sur (11°48’07.3” N, 66° 53’07.7” W), which has mangroves and savannas in

Journal of Ornithology 20(1), 2007 47 RAMONI -PERAZZI ET AL . — B IRD R ECORDS FOR L OS R OQUES A RCHIPELAGO , V ENEZUELA

Fig. 1. Los Roques Archipelago. Numbers encircled indicate study sites (for details, see text): (1) Gran Roque; (2) Maceta de Nube Verde; (3) Dos Mosquises Sur; (4) Francisquí.

addition to a few human dwellings and introduced guaná Peninsula (), and Los Roques Archi- plants, was visited on 18 July 2005. And Francisquí pelago (Sharpe et al. 1997, Azpiroz et al. 2006). (11°57’53.0” N, 66°38’40.0” W), which has man- The latter record consisted of a sighting of an adult grove and savannas plus some permanent human male in breeding plumage on Gran Roque Island on dwellings, was visited on 19 July 2005 (Fig. 1). 15 July 2004. Two males and two females were seen daily in the vicinity of the airport at Gran OBSERVATIONS AND D ISCUSSION Roque, from 15-19 July 2005, representing the sec- The Variegated Flycatcher ( Empidonomus varius ond observation of the species on Los Roques and varius ) is an austral migrant breeding in southern the first of females in the archipelago. This observa- South America and is found in Venezuela mainly tion may be evidence of further colonization. east of the Andes, from March to October (Meyer The presence of both species in the most heavily de Schauensee and Phelps 1978, Boesman 1999, inhabited and altered portion of the archipelago, Hilty 2003). At least five individuals were seen combined with their absence from the most pristine daily from 14-19 July 2005 in the town of Gran areas of Gran Roque and other remnant cays, sug- Roque, usually perched on the power wires (Fig. 2). gests that they favour habitats altered by human They were identified as the nominate race by their activities. Furthermore, the presence of the House more extensive streaking on the underparts in com- Sparrow is of particular concern because it is con- parison with the locally resident E. v. rufinus . These sidered a serious pest elsewhere, often displacing records represent the first for Los Roques archipel- native birds (Hilty 2003), and because it is well ago, extending the known records in Venezuela known that native biological communities of small northward about 160 km. islands may be poorly adapted to the threat posed by The House Sparrow ( Passer domesticus ) is native exotic introductions. to the Palearctic region and has been widely intro- duced worldwide (Bologna 1978, Hilty 2003). In ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Venezuela, House Sparrows were previously re- Transportation to the archipelago was provided ported at northern , , the Para- by Universidad de Los Andes and the Army of the

48 Journal of Caribbean Ornithology 20(1), 2007 RAMONI -PERAZZI ET AL . — B IRD R ECORDS FOR L OS R OQUES A RCHIPELAGO , V ENEZUELA

C. B OSQUE , AND A. R ODRÍGUEZ -FERRARO . 2006. Status and distribution of the House Sparrow (Passer domesticus ) in Venezuela. Ornitología Neotropical 17:457-460. BIRD LIFE I NTERNATIONAL AND C ONSERVATION INTERNATIONAL . 2005. Áreas importantes para la conservación de las aves de los Andes Tropicales: Sitios prioritarios para la conservación de la bio- diversidad. BirdLife International, Quito. BOESMAN , P. 1999. Birds of Venezuela/Aves de Venezuela. Bird Songs International BV, Wieren- gastraat. BOLOGNA , G. 1978 . Uccelli. Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, Milan. GINÉS , H., AND G. Y ÉPEZ . 1956. Avifauna de las Islas. Pp. 68-78 in El archipiélago de Los Roques y (Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, ed.). Editorial , . HILTY , S. L. 2003. Birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. LECROY , M. 1976. Bird observations in Los Roques, Venezuela. American Museum Novitates 2599:1-30. LENTINO , M., AND C. R ODNER . 2003. Los Roques: Una muestra de la riqueza de nuestra avifauna insular. Pp. 143-165 in Guía del Parque Nacional Archipiélago Los Roques (J. Zamarro, ed.). Fig. 2. Variegated Flycatcher ( Empidonomus va- Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, rius varius ) in Los Roques Archipelago. Caracas. MEYER DE S CHAUENSEE , R., AND W. H. P HELPS , JR. 1978. A guide to the birds of Venezuela. Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ. Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, especially by PHELPS , W. H., AND W. H. P HELPS , J R. 1950. Las Capt. Jesús Clemente, Commander of the ARBV aves de las Islas los Roques y las Aves y descrip- “Almirante Clemente.” Transportation within the ción de un nuevo canario de mangle. Boletín de la archipelago was facilitated by Eleucis Borrego and Sociedad Venezlona de Ciencias Naturales 13:7- Miguel Láres. Lodging facilities were provided by 30. Capt. Ignacio Peñuela, Guardcoast Commander of PHELPS , W. H. AND W. H. P HELPS , J R. 1959. La Los Roques, Soc. Anselmo Rodríguez, General Di- nidificación de las aves marinas en el Archipié- rector of the official authority in Los Roques, and lago de Los Roques. Bol. Soc. Venez. Cienc. Nat. Posada La Plaza. The manuscript greatly benefited 20:325-336. from comments from Daniel Lane, Doranda Per- SHARPE , C.J., D. A SCANIO -ECHEVERRÍA , AND R. domo, and Robin Restall. RESTALL . 1997. Three species of exotic passerine in Venezuela. Cotinga 7:43-44. LITERATURE C ITED VILLAMIZAR , A. AND J. Z AMARRO . 2003. La vege- ARISTEGUIETA , L. 1956. Flórula de la región. Pp. tación. Pp. 99-107 in Guía del Parque Nacional 47-67 in El archipiélago de Los Roques y La Or- Archipiélago Los Roques (J. Zamarro, ed.). chila (Sociedad de Ciencias Naturales La Salle, Agencia Española de Cooperación Internacional, ed.). Editorial Sucre, Caracas. Caracas, Venezuela. AZPIROZ , A., D. A SCANIO , R. R ESTALL , A. S OTO ,

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